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Battle of Perez Dasmariñas
Spanish Empire |commander1 = Emilio Aguinaldo Crispulo Aguinaldo† Flaviano Yengko† |commander2 = Jose de Lachambre |strength1 = 60,000+ men |strength2 = 23,000 cazadores 100+ guns and mortars |casualties1 = ~10,000 |casualties2 = ~3,000 |casualties3 = 20,000 civilian deaths }} The Battle of Perez Dasmariñas occurred during the Cavite Offensive of 1897, an all-out attack commanded by Maj. Gen. Jose de Lachambre to recapture Cavite in the Philippines since their loss at the twin battles of Binakayan and Dalahican and to crush the Katipunan insurrection, led by Emilio Aguinaldo in the province. Both the battle and the offensive was a success for the Spanish, and the retreat to Montalban occurred several weeks after the battle. The battle had been too much a hardship for both the Filipino revolutionaries and the Perez Dasmariñas town, because they each suffered destruction in the face of the massive Spanish assault. Background Decisively lost after the twin battles of twin battles of Binakayan and Dalahican the last year, Gov. Gen. Ramón Blanco y Erenas took extreme caution of Aguinaldo's presence in Cavite as this meant that as long as he was not captured the revolution continues throughout Luzon. After his victory at Zapote Bridge, Aguinaldo began liberating the towns in Cavite one-by-one. However, just a few months before, new fresh conscripts arrived from Spain, and the new Spanish governor-general, Fernando Primo de Rivera, ordered Maj. Gen. Jose de Lachambre to conduct an offensive that will crush the revolution and reclaim Cavite for the Spanish Crown. The latter did as ordered, began the offensive on February 15 at Pamplona and Bayungyungan towns of Cavite and Batangas, respectively. The Spaniards recaptured Silang four days later after the offensive began, despite tenacious Filipino resistance clinging there. The rebels had to retreat to Perez Dasmariñas in disorganized manner. Battle Nine days later, after they took control of Silang town, the battle-hardened Spaniards marched towards Perez Dasmariñas. The Katipuneros then intercepted the advancing Spaniards in Pasong Santol, a zigzag trail between Imus and Perez Dasmariñas. From March 7 to 24, a battle between the revolutionary army of Crispulo Aguinaldo, while taking over General Emilio Aguinaldo’s leadership in battle, and the Spanish forces, led by José de Lachambre, occurred in this trail. The Spaniards only captured this salient after Crispulo was killed during the battle. But even as the Spaniards squashed the resistance clinging in Pasong Santol a few days earlier, Imus was the Spaniards' primary aim, as it serves as the seat of Aguinaldo's revolutionary government. The disorganized Katipuneros prepared to meet the invaders head-on within the town. The battle have been particularly bloody inside the town, but the Spanish managed to crush the rebels' resistance in the town. Aguinaldo and his forces had to retreat towards Imus. Outcome With the battle came to an end as a disaster for the Filipino revolutionaries, it signaled the advent of Spanish recapture of Cavite province. Commanders like Crispulo Aguinaldo, Emilio's brother, Flaviano Yengko, and others were killed from the skirmish that occurred at Pasong Santol. Aguinaldo and his forces began the arduous retreat march towards Montalban several weeks later. Aguinaldo will later sign the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 15 the same year. Sources The continuing Cavite offensive References See also *Battle of Binakayan-Dalahican *Ramon Blanco y Erenas *Silang, Cavite Category:Philippine Revolution Category:Dasmariñas